Sir William Beechey (1753 – 1839)
Sir William Beechey was a very successful, English portrait artist. He was raised by his uncle Samuel after losing both parents in the early 1760s. His uncle wanted him to follow the family tradition and train to be a solicitor but William had made up his mind, he would be an artist. In 1772, he became a pupil at the Royal Academy and quickly gained recognition for his work. He began painting the portraits of nobility and royalty. In 1793 he was commissioned to paint a full-length portrait of Queen Charlotte and he later became her official portrait painter. In 1798 he was elected as a full member of the Royal Academy and painted a huge canvas, depicting George III and the Prince of Wales, reviewing troops, for that year’s academy exhibition. The King was delighted with it and gave Beechey a knighthood. Sadly, in 1992, the original painting was destroyed in the fire at Windsor Castle.
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